Crystal Noel, Ph.D.

Research Interests

Quantum computing and simulation with trapped ions, integrated photonics for scalable trapped ion systems, and electric-field noise from surfaces

Bio

Prof. Noel's research interests include both the technology development for scalable ion trap quantum computers, as well as using existing ion trap quantum computers for relevant demonstrations, tests, and simulations.

Education

• B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013
• Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 2019

Positions

• Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Assistant Professor of Physics
• Member of the Duke Quantum Center

Courses Taught

• PHYSICS 152L9D: Introductory Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics (Discussion Component)
• ECE 522: Quantum Engineering with Atoms
• ECE 391: Projects in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• ECE 270L9: Fields and Waves: Fundamentals of Information Propagation (Lab)
• ECE 270DL: Fields and Waves: Fundamentals of Information Propagation

Publications

• Ryan JM, Gorbaty S, Kessler TJ, Peaks MG, Teitsworth S, Noel C. Experimental measurement of quantum-first-passage-time distributions. arXiv. 2025.
• Yu Y, Yan K, Biswas D, Zhang VN, Harraz B, Noel C, et al. In-situ mid-circuit qubit measurement and reset in a single-speciesn trapped-ion quantum computing system. 2025.
• Chen Z-Y, Goetting I, Toh G, Yu Y, Shalaev M, Saha S, et al. Non-invasive mid-circuit measurement and reset on atomic qubits. 2025.
• Paul A, Noel C. Ion-chain sympathetic cooling and gate dynamics. Physical Review Applied. 2024 Oct 1;22(4).
• Sterk JD, Blain MG, Delaney M, Haltli R, Heller E, Holterhoff AL, et al. Multi-junction surface ion trap for quantum computing. 2024.
• Niroula P, White CD, Wang Q, Johri S, Zhu D, Monroe C, et al. Phase transition in magic with random quantum circuits. Nature physics. 2024 Jan;20(11).
• Lewis L, Zhu D, Gheorghiu A, Noel C, Katz O, Harraz B, et al. Experimental implementation of an efficient test of quantumness. Physical Review A. 2024 Jan 1;109(1).
• Kessler TJ, Gorbaty S, Zhao L, Ryan JM, Noel C. Integrating Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Photonics and Surface-Electrode Ion Traps. In: 2024 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics CLEO 2024. 2024.
• Kessler TJ, Gorbaty S, Zhao L, Ryan JM, Noel C. Integrating Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Photonics and Surface-Electrode Ion Traps. In: CLEO Science and Innovations CLEO S and I 2024 in Proceedings CLEO 2024 Part of Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics. 2024.
• Kessler TJ, Gorbaty S, Zhao L, Ryan JM, Noel C. Integrating Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Photonics and Surface-Electrode Ion Traps. In: 2024 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2024. 2024.
• Zhu D, Kahanamoku-Meyer GD, Lewis L, Noel C, Katz O, Harraz B, et al. Interactive cryptographic proofs of quantumness using mid-circuit measurements. Nature Physics. 2023 Nov 1;19(11):1725u201331.
• Seetharam K, Biswas D, Noel C, Risinger A, Zhu D, Katz O, et al. Digital quantum simulation of NMR experiments. Science advances. 2023 Nov;9(46):eadh2594.
• Kozhanov A, Yu Y, Zhukas L, Feng L, Biswas D, Harraz B, et al. Next-generation trapped-ion quantum computing system. In: Quantum 2 0 Proceedings Optica Quantum 2 0 Conference and Exhibition. 2023.
• Zhu D, Cian ZP, Noel C, Risinger A, Biswas D, Egan L, et al. Cross-platform comparison of arbitrary quantum states. Nature communications. 2022 Nov;13(1):6620.
• Lewis L, Zhu D, Gheorghiu A, Noel C, Katz O, Harraz B, et al. Experimental Implementation of an Efficient Test of Quantumness. 2022.
• Berlin-Udi M, Matthiesen C, Lloyd PNT, Alonso AM, Noel C, Saarel B, et al. Changes in electric field noise due to thermal transformation of a surface ion trap. Physical Review B. 2022 Jul 15;106(3).
• Noel C, Niroula P, Zhu D, Risinger A, Egan L, Biswas D, et al. Measurement-induced quantum phases realized in a trapped-ion quantum computer. Nature Physics. 2022 Jul 1;18(7):760u20134.
• Cetina M, Egan LN, Noel C, Goldman ML, Biswas D, Risinger AR, et al. Control of Transverse Motion for Quantum Gates on Individually Addressed Atomic Qubits. Prx Quantum. 2022 Mar 1;3(1).
• Debroy DM, Egan L, Noel C, Risinger A, Zhu D, Biswas D, et al. Optimizing Stabilizer Parities for Improved Logical Qubit Memories. Physical review letters. 2021 Dec;127(24):240501.
• Egan L, Debroy DM, Noel C, Risinger A, Zhu D, Biswas D, et al. Fault-tolerant control of an error-corrected qubit. Nature. 2021 Oct;598(7880):281u20136.
• Cetina M, Egan LN, Noel CA, Goldman ML, Risinger AR, Zhu D, et al. Quantum Gates on Individually-Addressed Atomic Qubits Subject to Noisyn Transverse Motion. 2020.
• Noel C, Berlin-Udi M, Matthiesen C, Yu J, Zhou Y, Lordi V, et al. Electric-field noise from thermally activated fluctuators in a surface ion trap. Physical Review A. 2019 Jun 26;99(6).
• Li H-K, Urban E, Noel C, Chuang A, Xia Y, Ransford A, et al. Realization of Translational Symmetry in Trapped Cold Ion Rings. Physical review letters. 2017 Feb;118(5):053001.
• Wang PJ, Li T, Noel C, Chuang A, Zhang X, Hu00e4ffner H. Surface traps for freely rotating ion ring crystals. Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics. 2015 Sep 16;48(20).
• Vermeyden L, Bonsma M, Noel C, Donohue JM, Wolfe E, Resch KJ. Experimental violation of three families of Bell's inequalities. Physical Review A. 2013 Mar 8;87(3).

In The News

• Three Things to Know About Federal Investment in Quantum Computing (Jul 10, 2023 | Duke Today)
• Glimpses of quantum computing phase changes show researchers the tipping point (Jun 10, 2022 | Phys.org)